Fire destroyed it, but this Portland kitchen came back better than ever thanks to its remodel's focus on light and storage

Despite the devastation, this Portland, Oregon, family felt lucky after a fire struck the kitchen of their 1920s Craftsman home. The damage was terrible, but no one had been hurt. Looking on the bright side, they saw the opportunity to redesign their kitchen into the space they had always wanted.

Portland architect Michael Howells opened up the kitchen to add more light and storage. "We spend a lot of time indoors here in rainy Portland, and the dark wood interiors common to old Craftsman homes can be gloomy," he says. New white cabinetry and materials all made in America provide a modern look that still feels at home in the 1920s house.

The family wanted a modern farm-style kitchen; painted cabinets, subway tile and full-height custom cabinetry were high on their list. Shelving at the back of the peninsula, generously sized cabinets and full-extension drawers give the kitchen plenty of subtle storage space.

BEFORE: Thankfully, no member of the family was home when the fire broke out. By the time the family arrived on the scene, the fire had been extinguished, and inspectors had started to take account of the damage.

AFTER: The kitchen's original layout worked well, so the family kept it — with a few tweaks. The peninsula at the end of the counter creates a small breakfast area, and the new window in the nook transformed the light.

New white cabinetry immediately lightened the room's visual weight. Instead of closing off this tiled wall at the peninsula with cabinetry, Howells left the space open, allowing light from the breakfast nook to flow through.

BEFORE: The inspectors believed that the fire resulted from a spark or power surge after an outage — potentially from a defective toaster oven. Although the fire was primarily contained in the kitchen, intense smoke damage considerably affected the rest of the house. Most of the home had to be gutted and remodeled, and almost everything — including the silverware — had to be professionally cleaned.

AFTER: Howells, who likes to use local products, stuck with American materials to maintain the home's quintessential Craftsman style. Black honed granite counters look classic, and the backsplash tile is handmade by Heath Ceramics in Sausalito, California. Howells also custom designed the cabinetry to reference traditional panel doors.

A warm cream wall color keeps a consistent tone through all the public rooms, but Howells used the backsplash to add interest. "I like to take backsplashes as an opportunity to do something fun and expressive," he says. Simple open shelving around the sink is practical for often-used items and decor, and still looks beautiful.

I don't mind "tooting my own horn" on this one! This is the fourth kitchen we have been lucky enough to build for Michael Howells and, arguably, the best of them. Michael is an incredibly talented architect/designer who understands what elements need to remain to make a new kitchen in an old house look "right" and what to add to keep it from being boring and to make it function well. He is demanding and expects the best work from the craftsmen involved in his projects and we're proud to be part of his team at Wolf and Son Cabinetmakers in Portland, Oregon (wolfandson.com).

Thanks so much, Eric. Working with great a great cabinetmaker such as yourself is crucial to the success of these kitchen projects. It is especially true of kitchen remodels that you get what you pay for: beautiful, long-lasting materials and impeccable craftsmanship shine through.